Home Maintenance

Dec
03

Who doesn’t love a good kitchen!

Posted In: Alameda, Albany, Architecture, Berkeley, Creative Reuse Ideas, El Cerrito, Emeryville, For Boomers, For Buyers, For Sellers, For the Heck of It, Fun for Grown Ups, Fun for Kids, Home Improvement, Home Maintenance, Kensington, Neighborhoods, Oakland, Photos, Richmond, Rockridge, Temescal, Uncategorized
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Krista and Rosie love a good kitchen!  Each time they go into a house they always check out the kitchen. Big, little, comfy, white, bright?  What would you add to your dream kitchen? A cool chalkboard wall to write menus? How about  built-in wine storage?  There are so many ways you can create the kitchen of your dreams! Here are [...]
Oct
02

How to get rid of fruit flies in the home

Posted In: For the Home, Green Living, Home Maintenance
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Hard to complain about the beautiful weather we’re experiencing right now– Indian summer in the East Bay is such a lovely thing!– but sometimes there comes a little uninvited visitor every so often.  That’s right.  We’re talking fruit flies.  The tiny plague.  Fruit flies thrive in damp places so you might find them congregating near your trash disposal, or anywhere [...]
Mar
07

Where to Recycle Oddities

Posted In: Albany, Community, Home Maintenance
Did you know that… Berkeley Horticultural Nursery recycles plastic plant pots and plant trays. Pots should be empty and clean. Drop off outside nursery anytime. The nursery is located at 1310 McGee Avenue, in North Berkeley, between Hopkins and Rose. The drop-off location is on Rose near Monterey. Look for the sign. Need to get rid of clean, wearable clothes? [...]
Aug
08

Hiring A Contractor? Read This.

Posted In: For Buyers, For Sellers, Home Improvement, Home Maintenance
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Have you ever been put into that awkward situation where your clients have hired someone who is an expert in their field, and the information they are providing is just plain wrong?  I was recently showing property to some buyers who brought their contractor along to look at the kitchen.  We were looking at the stove, and the contractor made [...]
Feb
08

El Cerrito Recycling Center Grand Re-Opening Delayed

Posted In: El Cerrito, Home Maintenance
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I love the El Cerrito Recycling Center.  This is the place where you can drop off just about anything and everything that isn’t hazardous.  Metal scraps, batteries, books for re-use.  There is even a Goodwill truck parked nearby. I was dropping of some styrofoam this morning and I noticed the new signs, the solar panels, and the round-a-bout.  I asked [...]
Apr
08

Recycle Your Unwanted Stuff!

Posted In: Community, For Buyers, For Sellers, Green Living, Home Maintenance
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I have become a recycling junkie.  It is exhilarating.  Productive.  Cleansing.  Seriously.  For me there is something so refreshing about getting rid of crap. While I was on maternity leave I emptied out my closet (got rid of 8 bags of clothing), cleaned out the kitchen (2 boxes of glassware and vases), cleaned out my office (filled 6 boxes), and [...]
Aug
03

Your Meter Just Got Smarter

Posted In: For Buyers, Home Improvement, Home Maintenance
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PG&E just got a little smarter.  By now your gas and/or electric meter has been upgraded.  It is designed to improve the service the PG&E provides.  Some of the features include: Remote energy usage reading by PG&E Allows you to view hourly and daily energy usage Faster problem resolution Faster power restoration Energy alerts via text, email or phone A [...]
May
26

New Renovation Rule on Older Homes in the East Bay

Posted In: For Sellers, General Real Estate News, Home Improvement, Home Maintenance
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It’s the law! Federal law requires contractors that disturb painted surfaces in homes, child care facilities and schools, built before 1978 to be certified and follow specific work practices to prevent lead contamination. Always ask to see your contractor’s certification. Federal law requires that individuals receive certain information before renovating six square feet or more of painted surfaces in a [...]